TRULY BLESSED ^^,

How do you feel when your man tells other people, "HONESTLY, I AM VERY BLESSED WITH MY WIFE."?

These words just makes my tears out of control and makes me strive more to be a better wife ^^,
I am not really a kiss-and-tell or post-it-on-Facebook type of person but I just couldn’t contain the joy inside of me (he actually said these exactly the same words to someone 2 weeks and 5 days ago). I love it more to hear from other people what lovely things they see in me or my family because I just find the reaction sweeter when someone finds it out for himself than when it is I who let somebody in on the facts, and also I fret to sound like bragging.

As I look back and see our four-year marriage, I am just filled with awe and gratefulness to the Almighty. Yes, its not perfect nor I can say it will be. We still have our ups and downs, love-hate responses, down-in-the-dumps moments, that I-hope-you-change thoughts and all that, but the Lord is gradually knitting our lives together perfectly. A the end of the day, we are just so blessed to know that our love for each other is on the rise and is continually refined by the Most Holy from up above.

And with conviction I can say that indeed I am truly blessed with my God-given husband! ^^,

#Godgivenmarraige
#itisALWAYSbesttowaitfortheoneGODhaspreparedforyou
#allglorytotheLORD!

#HAPPY4thANNIVERSARYhon-March26

I Denied My Loved Ones, HOW CRAZY IS THAT?!

the worst feeling i ever had
(photo not mine)

I feel ridiculous, really. I know you are raising your brows on me. Yes, I did deny my loved ones, my dear husband and son particularly. WHY? HOW DARE I? I still question myself up until writing this post since the day before yesterday. Though never will be acquitted but anyhow, please allow me to explain myself.

Now then, I am into this urgent matter, definitely legal, that needs my valid I.D., Community Tax Certificate (cedula) and Birth Certificate. It’s my bad I didn’t work on validating my marital status on my Identification Card right after the wedding. Okay, so obviously still on it is my mother’s last name and my status, single. I had no choice but to use it due to urgency. I need a recent Community Tax Certificate so I did go to the city hall and filled up the needed info, yes I made sure that it would agree with my I.D... It was all okay until the office clerk started an unexpected interview (I’ve been into this a lot of times but only then that I am trapped with this silly conversation, yes really silly!).

Clerk: Are you living-in with someone?

Me: (mind puzzled with such a ridiculous question and just raised my brows with a clueless face)

Clerk: (on a loud irritated voice) Do you have a live-in partner?

Me: NO! (that was technically correct right? because I am legally wedded so  I thought I am not saying the wrong thing)

Clerk: Do you have a child?

Me: (confused and hesitant telling myself, “I declared I’m single and without a partner so it would be wrong to say I have a  child so I just responded with hesitant act of refusal)

Immediately after my response, it felt like the heavens and the earth crashed on me. I never felt this worst feeling before. I was so upset that when the clerk handed me the certificate I just stood still and kept staring at it and badly wanting to wind back the time and just declare my real status whatever it takes. I was so upset that tears were heaping and racing out my eyes, and my heart pounding and bursting with indescribable pain.

Too late! Even if I would immediately act on changing it, I still did deny them. I denied the most important part of why my heart beats. How crazy is that? I went home nagging at myself, “You love them? How could you deny them? And for what?”  Then, I apologetically told my husband about it and asked, “What do you think of what I did? Am I foolish?” He gently replied, “I just feel rejected.”

Ouch! I couldn’t be more upset! My husband’s response was just another proof of my foolishness!

I surely will work on my papers without more ado and make things right once and for all.

What to do when having an 'LQ'?

Lovers’ Quarrel it is! And yes, in our 2 years, 5 months and 2 weeks of marriage, we have had many. We have our own share of untold down-in-the-dumps. Whatever the grounds are, a quarrel is still a quarrel that badly needs squaring off before long, before any rueful actions done. All right, I am no expert here, and still an amateur on marriage or any relationship. I just want to spills the beans and let you in a little on the facts of how I act and react when in a tiff with the man I pledged, before God and men, to be with all my life through ups and downs.

Okay, here are two different sets of actions/reactions and outcomes to a same situation – ‘LQ’

BEFORE:

-          I intentionally bring the house down with me when I’m upset! I.e. no cleaning, no laundering, no dish washing, just letting everything cluttered and shambolic!

-          I go on hunger strike, really!

-          I slack and slumber all day long or go elsewhere and come home late!

-          I drag up his past flaws and faults, and plan on doing silly things!

§  OUTCOME: I end up more upset and madder. Hungry. Sleepless at night and filled with negative thoughts and get up the next morning even madder. And when it’s time to kiss and make up, I end up exhausted with all the household errands that are now twofold, argh!

AT THE PRESENT (When I got tired of all after-LQ frustrations and also baby came.):

-          I do general cleaning, as in! Of course I can’t risk my baby’s health. Sparkling clean from corner to corner tsk… tsk… just exaggerating a little!

-          I eat, do, go, and buy whatever I want. No more hunger strikes and no more coming home late!

-          I try with all my best not to think on any negative past and avoid doing silly things.

-          I prepare and join him during meal time.

§  OUTCOME: Okay, I still get upset and do or think of silly things but not that bad anymore. I get a good night sleep, obviously because I’m too tired after running all errands. Not hungry, plus the glee of satisfying myself with a bit of luxury. I get up the next morning lighter and brighter and a lot more welcome for a kiss and make up, teehee!

Aye, we still are caught in a tiff every once in a while, but now we don’t bring the house down anymore, no more hurtful words, and we always still try to eat together on the same plate, yes right, on a single plate like we always do after we tied the knot. We both hate verbal fights, thank God, which really made a great deal of difference. And we certainly both love to keep each other until the end of time so we are working hard to save ourselves from any marriage disasters. We pray and we live our oath!

Now I Know!

From the moment I, with Surgeons’ help, brought our darling baby out to this world to each passing day there was never an instance that my little darling stays a long way away. I always ‘baby wear’ the world over until that one particular day, my granddad’s 70^th birthday (August 25, 2013) which calls for a clan reunion. That day happened to be the same day with another very important engagement so the husband and I decided to join the get-together later. The presence of the nearest-and-dearests was a must so they insisted to take along my little one with them to make sure that we’re coming over. Actually we agreed, but from the time I heard that idea, though I already gave approval, I was ill at ease. Then the big day came, they were all excited to bring, even argued who would carry and cuddle, my darling baby whose only one year, 6 months and 21 days young then, I was still uneasy deep within. It’s not that I don’t trust any of them to take good care of him; perhaps it’s just that exact sentiment I frequently hear from co-mamas when they’re away with their children, now I know!

On the other hand, I couldn't deny the glee of freedom and convenience, actually. Anyhow, the situation made me remember how it felt to be able to use both hands again in doing a task, freely moving here and there. Oh yeah, carefree, clutter free guise and handbag and sweaty no more. I must say I relished every moment, why not, for only at the moment. And yes, the hubby did say, “I miss this ‘only you and me’ time.” – silly but true =) tsk… tsk… Then later a friend commented, “You look like newlywed.”  =D Oh, really?!! Are we too showy that we’re enjoying our uninterrupted moments together?  Hahahahahaha!

Uh huh! We did enjoy our carefree moments but actually our little darling was always our gab topic. And as soon as we were over and done with our prime engagement, we hurriedly hit the road to grandpa’s county to reunite with our longed-for kinfolks, celebrate grandpa’s well and advanced years and of course be with our darling baby. It was a tiring long trip. I don't know exactly how my little Joseph felt while we were apart, all I know is that he's very happy to be with us again, so do I. Seeing our little one’s sweetest smile and chuckle, and clapping his teensy-weensy hands the moment he saw us and call out to the top of his voice, “MAMA!” awww everything just gleamed like a sunbeam and all the longing and grogginess eluded. Now I know! =)

Desperate Cooking: Revealing A Teensy Weensy Secret!

Today is another smiley day, indeed one of our best bright-and-breezy days. Actually it’s just a typical ordinary day made special by these cheesy yet oh so heartening words from my man, “I love you more than yesterday!” He’s not someone innately romantic, just plain and simple and a man who’s never flashy especially with words of endearment. That explains why I rate highly and take pleasure in each and every word and or deed of gratitude displayed.

Okay! Okay! No more ado’s. It all started with a little flattering remark to a yummy dish we both love yet always leaves a lingering stinky smell at the kitchen, spicy ‘pusit’. The remark was not for the yummy cooking, yes it was yummy he said, really =P but for the absence of the stinky smell. Now, no need to freshen up the kitchen over and over again when cooking such.

The secret? A squeeze or two of Calamansi drives that fishy smell away. Actually the discovery was just a happenstance. It was not really part of the ingredients, only something I tried to neutralize my saline dish tsk… tsk… what a bolt from the blue that it did not only enhanced the flavor but also eliminate that stinky fishy smell for good. Awesome!

The JOY of Being a FATHER

The joy of being a Father?

A natural-born female, a daughter deprived of a father, now a mother, I find it difficult to grasp a father’s emotional state. I have always been into my own sentiments in life - womanhood, motherhood and all that girl stuffs.

I even have this thinking that no one would ever love my child like I do, besides the Almighty. However, seeing my husband’s endless smiles, lasting patience, affectionate care and all his hard work accentuate his love for our little one. I must say fatherhood made him more committed as a family man, and yes this tough-and-not-at-all-romantic dude became gentle, more affectionate, more sympathetic and more responsible.

To be honest, I negatively bated breath on him regarding marriage and fatherhood. Well, he’s absolutely not a bad catch to begin with; it’s just the fact that we all have individual negativity that we can never deny of. I love him and thank God for him. I sure know he is heaven sent and its God’s good will that brought us accord. And each day of our lives together, good or bad, is God’s wonderful workmanship to create a masterpiece.

I have come to realize that this dad truly loves his son never less than his child’s mama. I know I’ll never be able to figure out the joy of being a father but I am ever so grateful to this man who undoubtedly loves his kid with all the best that he can and by also loving and caring for his kid’s mama. Awwww (joyful tears)! 

Desperate Cooking: PAKBET

Pakbet has been my eversince favorite but my significant other finds it really hard to enjoy. Obviously he’s a lover of meat and some carefully chosen seafood. He’s always a snub when it comes to vegetables, so I tried a trick he wouldn't refuse. At this point, preparing this dish is not anymore infuriating but fulfilling! Aye! I triumphed in making him eat veggies! But only pakbet for now, at least. Thank God my little one is not that hard to feed veggies like his dad. =P

 Here’s MY CHOICE OF INGREDIENTS:

·         300 grams Pumpkin

·         100 grams Eggplant

·         50 grams String Beans

·         50 grams Okra

·         500 grams Alugbati

·         500 grams Pork

·         Onion and Garlic

·         Salt and one small pack of that seasoning with magic =P

·         Cooking oil

·         Soy Sauce

MY WAY OF DOING IT:

1.      Wash all the ingredients that need to be washed such as: Pumpkin, Eggplant, String Beans, Okra, Alubati and Pork. Then slice them and also the spices.

2.      Saute onion and garlic, then the pork till brown. Add soy sauce to desired amount immediately after putting the pork.

3.      Add all the veggies. Put salt and that seasoning with a magic. Simmer till veggies are well done. (I actually prefer it overly done, like it’s almost mashed.)

4.      Then add the alugbati. Simmer till alugbati is well-cooked. (If not using a non-stick pan, check and stir from time to time to avoid charred veggies.)

5.      Plate and serve. =)

Oh! The trick? Please notice my ingredients, I put more of those that my hubby and baby likes such as pumpkin, alugbati and of course pork. Also, I do it away with ampalaya.

This desperately-cooking-wife-and-mama is taking it all slowly, one day at a time.